1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a ball joint and, in particular, to a seal for a ball joint.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical ball joint includes a socket and a ball stud. The ball stud has a ball end portion received in the socket and a shank portion projecting from the ball stud. The socket supports the ball stud for pivotal and/or rotational movement relative to the socket with the shank portion extending from the socket. The ball joint also includes a seal that has a first end portion that seals against the socket. A second end portion of the seal seals against the shank portion of the ball stud. The seal prevents lubricant from coming out of the ball joint and also prevents dirt and other items from entering into the ball joint.
The present invention is a ball joint. The ball joint includes a socket defining a pivot center, a bearing in the socket, and a stud. The stud has a ball end portion received in the bearing and a shank portion projecting from the socket. The stud further has a longitudinal axis extending through the pivot center. The bearing supports the stud in the socket for pivotal movement and for rotational movement about the axis relative to the socket by a predetermined amount. The ball joint further includes an annular seal having first and second end portions and an intermediate portion. The seal is made from an elastic material. The first end portion of the seal is fixed to the socket. The second end portion of the seal is fixed to the shank portion of the stud and is pivotable and rotatable with the stud relative to the socket about the pivot center. The intermediate portion of the seal has a plurality of flutes that provide excess material to enable rotation of the stud about the axis relative to the socket by the predetermined amount.